Posts Tagged ‘success’

I am delighted to be returning for a second year to participate in the UK’s pre-eminent national business awards, as a judge with 12 fabulous nominees. In my experience, there are 12 traits that inform the “complete entrepreneur”. Here is three of my favourites:

Self-determined. They do not rely on “handouts” from others to achieve success and they realise they can control their own destiny.

Wealth perspective. They realise that money is the fuel for their dreams, not actual wealth, which includes freedom, independence and discretionary time to pursue interests that excite them.

Presence. They immediately come across as socially adept and confident, not one dimensional. They are fun to be around, not a pain to hang out with.

I am tiring of business executives and entrepreneurs, who ask my assistance to find a new or replacement strategic partner(s) but then insist that I am remunerated several months later when the partnership enters into “due diligence”, or upon signed agreement. What they fail to understand is that a visceral commitment needs to exist on both sides BEFORE we start work together. Where my promise is to build a peer-level trusting relationship with their ideal partner in a very brief time period, and in return, they provide fair and equitable remuneration. “Fair” does not constitute that I take 100% of the risk in the relationship building phase, where I have little or no control over a successful outcome. It requires a portion of my fee is paid “upfront”. That a great many “search” firms acquiesce to the rubric “the client hates paying fees”, and readily accept “payment on success”, says more about their low level of self-worth and the paucity of commitment to meet the objective than the greed of the client.

If you are a success, why wouldn’t you act like a success at a high profile occasion? Looking at countless celebrity male guests at the Royal Wedding (George Clooney, James Haskell and endless others), where your “dress” is a very clear mark of respect to your hosts, there wasn’t much respect on display to the Prince of Wales and Ms Markle’s mother. Why would you let down your spouse or partner, who has gone to a huge effort to earn respect? Which is it, “I conform to no one” (ego), “I am not familiar with local customs” (ignorant) or “the airline lost my bags” (unbelievable). If “manners maketh man”, many of us watching are in a state of confusion about some male celebrities’ beliefs that inform their behaviour, or perhaps, more likely we saw the less-appealing real man behind the PR-tinted lens.

The great thing with success that seemingly arrives from nowhere, is how it has this affect of forcing you to dive deep into your memory to try to make sense out of a sequence of visual images and serendipity. Yet you are none the wiser when you stop thinking about it. On the eve of Leicester City, let me say it once more, Leicester City, being crowned Premier League champions, as someone who was born in Leicester, it is just nonsensical. 5000/1 was probably mean, bookies are not in the business of being generous.

Yes the older locals would talk to an 8 year old kid about the sides of the sixties and the near misses. The 70s team had their moments. Watching Leicester’s own “George Best”, moustachioed striker Frank Worthington, clad in black leather jacket, loud shirt, and a host of gold rings and necklaces take his seat with the routine blonde in hot pants at the local circus. More Dirk Diggler. Keith Weller, a talented midfielder, who did more to promote Leicester’s hosiery industry, wearing a fetching pair of white tights on an icy day in January 1979. The 90s under genial manager, Martin O’Neill, securing a League Cup but in truth, every response before and since to where do you think the City will finish this season has been tinged with pessimism. Indeed, even the most ardent fan this year has sensed a potential collapse is around the corner, until now.

With bookmakers offering no higher than 1/20, it is going to happen. There is no logic too it but why worry, when serendipity strikes we just have to make the most of the moment. Unless of course, it happens again next year…..

Why do so many business media interviews tell us less about the individual’s story and more about their fears? If the objective of talking to a “friendly” reporter is to increase the likelihood that you are seen as an object of interest (credibility, intellect, empathy) amongst your key constituents (clients, prospects, shareholders, employees, business partners etc), you would be wise to start by understanding the reporter’s objectives.

1. What logical and emotional priorities is he/she seeking to accomplish?
2. Why interview me? (unique story)
3. Why now? (event or occurrence)
4. Why in the manner suggested? (environment, conditions etc)
5. How is the reporter better off or better supported after the interview is published?

I see a great many successful business folk, investors and board chairs expressing anguish at what they see in the “media mirror”. “He twisted my words”, “She portrayed me in an ugly or vulgar light” or “They lied to me”.

The reporter is the easy soft target for their frustration when the real culprit is the individual themselves. They failed to ask themselves the right questions before agreeing to the interview and they walked into the interview I’ll-prepared with their ego dangling out front.

Media promotion is an important part of building a marketing gravity to businesses that want to lower acquisition overheads and accelerate top line revenues. Doing it right is more important than not doing it at all.

Waking up this morning to hear the sad passing of Australian legend, Richie Benaud. A cricketer, commentator and gentleman nonpareil. Above all an inspiration to generations of sports fans.

In business as in sport or life, there are many leaders, who are satisfied by acquiring great financial success and acclaim through their thoughts, words and deeds. There are a smaller number, who pretend to or aspire to leave a legacy of inspiration for those who follow in their footsteps. There is an even more rarefied space with those leaders, who actually achieve that goal. Why sell yourself short and not shoot for that elevated status in your own career? After all a name on a building is just that a symbolic gesture but a wave of successors, who reference you as their inspiration is a meaningful legacy.